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UNTED i STATES i, PATENT OnFICn.

viLLLli/r n. vnnnn, orA BOWLING GREEN, OHIO, Assrenon on Onu-HALF TO ALLAN V. RUDULPH, OF SAME PLACE. y

OVERSEAMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECFICATION formingpart of Letters Ratent No. 292,451, dated January. 22, 1884.

Application filed June 2'2, 1883. (No model.)

Overseaining Attachment for j Sewing MagJchines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying ldrawings.

- The object of my improvements is'to proj iduce a newmechanism to enable an Qverseam gto bc sewed by theuse of any ordinary sewing- ,machine, so that the two adjacent edges of goods to be united shall` substantially abut aga'inst each other after the seam is formed fand the goods are straightened,- to avoid any l unnecessary rib or projection of the edges of vthe cloth beyond the seam, and to make a i smooth union of the edges. j In the accompanying drawings,-illustrating my improved attachment, -Figure l is a plan 3. view of my improved attachment. Fig. 2 is similar view, showing the parts in a similar position. Fig. 3 is anend view, partly inl section, on the line 3 3 of Figfl. Fig. 4 is a sideel'e'vation, with the guide-plate Ain section. Fig. 5 is an elevation from the opposite iside from that" shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a similar view, partly in section.

A indicates a guide-plate, provided upon the" side next the needle. of the sewing-ma chine, as usual, with an upwardly-projecting :"iange or plate, B.

teeth H, and with pins I, turning on its axle K, fixed in the guide-plate.

L indicates a pushing-lever, pivoted at M, and provided withthe spring N,bearing against the flanged guide-plate. This lever is notched @indicates a-clamp of any suitable charac- G indicates a ratchet-wheel, provided with at one end, O, so as to receive successively the pins I, which are suitably shaped to enter the notch and remain there a suitable time. The lever is also notched or otherwise. suitably shaped at the other end, P, to enter the recess D in the presser-foot, and engage with the edges of the cloth to be joined and push them j to one side.

. Q indicates a lever, consisting of two parts, Q and S.- The lower part of the lever proper` 6o isv pivotcd` at R to the flange of the guide,-v plate, and the upper part, oroperating-arm,

S, is pivoted at T to the part Q', between vits ends, and is adjustable thereon by means of a `set-screw, U, working in a slot, `V,vformed in the arm. j

indicates a branch of the arm S, secured thereto adjustably by; a set-screw, X. f The adjustability of the operating-arm S and .its

branch Wis for the purpose of readily accorn- 7o modating the attachment to different `machines .having different lengths of stroke of their needle-arms.

l To, the lower or shorter end ofthe lever Q is applied a spring-pawL'Y, adapted to engage 75 withA the teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel G r and turn it the distance of one tooth at a time.

In order to apply this improved overseam- Iing attachment to a sewingmachine, it is necessary that a pin or a suitable projection from 8o lthe needle-bar be provided to extendinto the space Z between the extremity of the operating-arm` andv its branch. In Ymost machines the needle-screw will answer the purpose, and no special pin need be provided. It is also necessary that thesupplemental presser-foot be placed under the presser-foot of` the maj chine to'which the attachment is applied,l or that the .presser-foot ofthe machine be provided with arecess similar to the` recess` D. 9o

The operation of this attachment ismas-follows: It is applied to the bed-plate of the sew-- ing-.machine in suitable relation to the goods to be united by overseaming and to the neex dle. Thegoods arelaid onepiece over another, with the edges parallel and abutting against the ange of the guide-plate, so that each ,stroke of the needle desired to pass through the goods will be av suitable distance from the edge. Now, normally, every stitch ofthe neeroo dle would be taken through the goods; but by the operation of my attachment, before the needle descends to make every alternate stitch, the edges of the goods are pushed aside out of the path of the needle, so that one-half of the stitches will pass through the goods at a suitable distance from the edges, and the other half of them, alternately, will pass outside of or past the edges of the goods, thus forming a perfect overseam. This movement of the goods out ofthe path of the needle is accomplished as follows: Then the needle-arm rises, it lifts the operating-arm and lever Q, causing the pawl Y to engage with one of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel and move it a distance equal to the width of the tooth. New, the number of pins upon the ratchet-wheel is just equal to one-half the number of the teeth of the wheel.l The result is that this movement of the wheel the distance of one tooth causes one of the pins to impinge against the end of the pushing-lever L, acting as a cam, and move that end so that it will engage by its notch with the pin, and there stop. At the .same time the other end of the lever, by its notch or other suitable conformation, will be caused to enter the recess D in the presser-foot, and push that part of the edges of the goods opposite to the needle aside, just out of the path of the needle. As the needle-bar descends, the operating-arm is brought down, and the spring-pawl Y is brought into position to engage with another tooth of the ratchet-wheel. W'hen the needlebar again rises, it causes another movement of the ratchet-wheel the distance of the width of one of its teeth, which throws the pin out of the notch of the lever L, and permits the end of the lever to pass in between the pins. This releases the pressure of the opposite end of the lever upon the edges ofthe goods, which brings the goods into position under the needle for the next stroke. The parts must of course be so adjusted, and their movements so timed, that the needle shall leave the cloth before the pusher begins to move the cloth out of its path.

Thus it will be seen, by this simple meehanism for alternately pushing in out of the path of the needle, and then permitting the restoration of the goods by their own tension, caused by the feed, the stitches are taken with certainty, alternately, through the goods and outside of the goods, so as to form a perfect overseam. It will not, in all cases, be necessary to use the auxiliary presser-foot D, as the ordinary presser-foot may be formed with a recess to accommodate the end of the pusherlever.

I do not confine my invention to the precise form of mechanism herein described, because, without departing from its substance, considerable modifications of mechanical devices may be made for practicing it.

What I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters latent of the United States,

1. Anover-seamerforsewing-machines,consisting of the combination of the bed-plate, the vertically-reciprocatin g needle, means for holding the goods to be operated upon on both sides of the needle, means for feeding forward the goods, and the pushing-lever for moving that part of the edges of the goods opposite the needle out of the path of the needle at every alternate stroke of the needle-bar, so that a stitch is alternately made in the goods and outside the edges ot' the goods, thereby forming an' overseam, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the bed-plate of a sewing-machine, of the vertically-reciprocat-J ing needle, means for holding the goods to be operated upon on both sides of the needle, means for feeding forward the goods, the guideplate mounted on the bed-plate, the ratchetwheel pivoted thereto, the pins vcarried bythe wheel, which are equal to half the number of its teeth, and the pushing-lever mounted on the guide-plate, which is operated by the pins in the ratchet-wheel, whereby that part of the edges ofthe goods opposite the needle is moved out of the path of the needle at every alternate stroke of the needle-bar, so that a stitch is alternately made in the goods and outside the edges of the goods, thereby forming an overseam, substantially as set forth.

3. An overseaming attachment for sewingmachines, consisting of the combination of the guide-plate, the ratchet-wheel mounted thereon, the pins carried by the ratchet-wheel, (equal to half the number of teeth in the ratchet-wheel,`) the lever Q, for operating the ratchet-wheel, the pusher-lever, which engages with the pins on the ratchet-wheel, and the recessed presser-foot mounted on the guide-plate, the several parts being adapted and arranged substantially as set forth. y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto slibscribed my naine this 9th day of June, A. D. 1883.

XVILLIAM F. VEBER.

'itnesses:

MARCUS S. HoPKixs, C. P. ELwELL.

XOO 

